Machine for feeding cards or paper.



PATENTED NOV. 19, 1907.

J. P. WRIGHT.

MACHINE FOR FEEDING CARDS OR PAPER.

APPLIOATIOH rum) IA]. 17. 1902. BEHEWBD IAR. 1a. 1907.

4 Ems-sum 1.

No. 871,746. PATENTED NOV. 19, 1907. J. P. WRIGHT.

MACHINE FOR FEED CARDS OR ER.

APPLIOATION FILED JAH.17. 1mm:

WED H .1 1907.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTED NOV. 19, 1907.

J. P. WRIGHT. MACHINE FOR FEEDING CARDS OR PAPER.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 17. 1902. RENEWED IAB. 18, 190'!- PATENTED NOV.19, 1907.

J. P. WRIGHT. MACHINE FOR FEEDING CARDS OR PAPER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.17. 1902. RENEWED MAR. 18, 1907.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

(@Zm/JM: I

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB P. WRIGHT, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE DIAMOND MATCH COMPANY,OF NEW YORK, N..Y., A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR FEEDING CARDS 0R PAPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 19, 1907.

Application filed January 17. 1902. Serial No. 90.174. Renewedllarch18.1907. Serial No. 362.895.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB P. WRIGHT, of Akron, in the county of Summit,and in the State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovementsin Machines for Feeding Cards or Paper, and do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the aecompanyin drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a p an view of a machine embodying my invention; Figs. 2 and3 are, res ectively, front and rear side elevations of the machineillustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged, front view of the lowerportion of the card chute and adjacent parts; Figs. 5 and 6 arevertical, transverse sections taken on the line xw of Fig. 1, showingdifferent positionsof the mechanism; Figs. 7 and 8 are similar views ofalternative constructions to those shown in the precedim figures.

Letters of like name and liind refer to like parts in each of thefigures.

The object of my invention has been to provide mechanism forautomatically separating a sin le card or sheet of paper from a stack orot er group of such articles, and

' feedin or placing such card or sheet of paper in a esired location andposition, and to such end, my Invention consists in the machine forfeeding cards or paper, hereinafter specified.

In ea g my invention into practice, I

provide a bed plate A which is supported 1n any-convenient manner, andwhich may conveniently be a part of another machine which is to operateupon the cards after they have been delivered to it.

1p describing my machine, I shall refer to the articles operated upon ascards, but it is to be understood that by such term I mean to includeany flexible sheets of material, such as paper or other material havingsufli cient stlflness to enable it to be operated upon by my machine.

Upon the u per face of the bed plate are mounted brao ts B and B, whichrise from the bed plate and extend toward each other, and are providedwith opposite vertical faces b and b. Upon the faces I) and b aresecured, as by screws, plates C and O, which form the side walls of achute for the reception of the cards to be 0 erated upon. At the bottomof each of sucfi side walls a ledge c is formed, which ledges extendtoward each other. The said ledges are comparatively of the sides 0 an(1 are secured strips 1) and D, which form the front and rear walls ofthe chute. The rearmost strips 1) and D terminate at their outer edgesslightly above the ledges c and c, and their lower edges are inclineddownwardly in a direction toward each other, so that the adjacentcorners of such strips extend to or below the level of the ledges c andc. The stri )s D and I) preferably do not meet, so that an opening isformed in the front and rear walls to enable the cards to be seen and tobe easily reached for manipulation and arrangement. Beneath the chutetwo undercut bars E and E are secured to the bed plate, transverselythereof and parallel to each other, so as to form a slideway for afeeder bar F, which is thus adapted to slide transversely of the bedplate, and the bars E and E are so placed as to bring the feeder barcentrally beneath the chute. The upper surface of the feeder bar issituated just below the level of the ledges c and c, and at the rear endof such upper surface, shoulders f and f are formed at the cornersthereof, beneath each of which is a horizontal surface f and f, uponwhich the card is adapted to rest.

A finger f extends rearwardly from the feeder bar F, and the uppersurface of such finger is preferably in the plane of the surface of thefeeder bar. of the r ar strips D and D are formed lugs f and 3 whoseunder surfaces are downwardly and rearwardly inclined below the level ofthe ad'acent ortions of the card when the latter is held y the feederbar, the said lugs serving to de ress the card as it passes beneaththem, an after having assed the lugs the card springs u ward, an uponthe rear movement of the coder bar comes in contact with the rearsurfaces of the said lugs and is thereby prevented from movin upwardwith the feeder bar and is strippe from the same. Fingers f 4 and f arepivoted in the slots formed in the guide bars of the feeder bar beneathand to one side of the lugs f and f, the said fingers being normallyheld in an upwardly and rearwardly inclined position by springs f and ffastened to the front ends of the bars. Shoulders on the fingers limitthe upward movement of the fin ers by contact with portions of the guideiars. The fingers normally u per On the rear fiices stand at a levelabove the adjacent portions of a card held by the feeder bar, so thatwhen the card is carried rearward by the feeder bar the said fingers aredepressed until the card has passed over them, when they rise to preventa retrograde movement of the card with the feeder bar. Either thefingers f or the fingers f can be used alone to strip the card from thefeeder bar, and the fingers f can be pivoted like the fingers f whilethe fingers f can, if desired, be made rigid like the fingers f Beneaththe bed plate a cam shaft G is mounted in transversely extendingbearings that are secured to said. bed plate. Upon the forward end ofsuch shaft is mounted a cylindrical block H having a face cam h foroperating the feeder bar F. A lever I is pivoted on a bracket 7', thatis secured -on the upper face of the bed plate at a point preferably onthe opposite side from the feeder bar F of'a vertical plate passingthrough the shaft G. The free end of the lever I extends to a point infront of the feeder bar F, I

to which latter it is connected by means of a 'link K. The lever Icarries upon its under surface an anti-friction roller 11 which isengaged by the face cam h and which, by the 'movement produced by suchcam, oscillates the lever I and reciprocates the feeder bar F. A bracketL. is secured to the under side of the bed plate and has a verticallyextending portion Z from which project horizontal lugs Z and Z. In thesaid lugs are formed vertically alining, preferabl cylindrical, holes,in which is received t e stem of a plunger M. The bracket L is so placedthat the plunger is in line with the center of the chute. The plunger isreciprocated vertically by a lever N that is fulcrumed between its endson a bracket n secured to v the underside of the bed plate, one end ofthe lever being pivoted to a side of the plunger, and the opposite endof the lever carrying an anti-friction roller that is engaged by a boxcam 0 formed in the side of the disk that is mounted on the cam shaft G.The upper end of the plunger is longer from front to rear thantransversely of such direction, and is provided with an opening m whichcommunicates with an exhaust chamber m formed within the plun er M. Anelastic washer m is referab y secured around and extends a ove the upperend of the plunger. Such washer can be secured upon the plunger byhaving a groove m formed in its inner walls that fits over and engages abead m formed on the exterior wall of the plunger. .A. nipple m extendsfrom a face of the plunger, and

- a passage in such nipple communicates with the exhaust chamber 1ntheplunger M. An exhaust cylinder 0 is secured upon the underside of thebed plate longitudinally thereof, and a piston o is mounted within suchcylinder, the piston rod 0' thereof being connected by a connecting rodP to a crank pin p on a side of the cam body H. In the end of thecylinder nearest the plunger M, a nipple 0 is secured, and a piece ofand 0 A valve is placed in the nipple 0 which valve opens toward thecylinder; and a valve is placed in the piston 0 which opens away fromthe nipple 0 In the operation of the machine above illustrated, thechute is filled with cards, the

' ends of the lowermost of which rest upon the ledges c and -c., The camshaft is set in motion, and the plunger M is first elevated until thewasher m upon its upper end, comes nearly or uite in contact with theunder surface of t e lowermost card. The piston is then moved in theexhaust cylinder to exhaust the air from the interior of the plunger M,thus causing the lowermost card to be forced upon the upper end of theplunger by the air above the card. The plunger then'descends, drawingdown with it the center of the card. The feeder bar is Zthen, by itsoperating mechanism, moved 'rearwardly, when the finger f 2 passes overthe card and beneath the next card above it of the stack, and the undersurface of the card rests upon the surfaces f and f at the zrear of theshoulders f and f. The suction of the plunger is then released by thereturn stroke of the piston toward the ni ple m and the plunger is drawndownwar out of the wayof the feeder bar. The card being new bentdownwardly at its central portion is at all points below the lower edgesof the strips D and Don the rearward side of the chute and, therefore,has an unobstructed passage rearward. The feeder bar then engages thecard by its shoulders f and f, and moves it rearwardly until the cardrides over the rearwardly inclined shoulders f and f upon the bed late,when the card springs down behind sald shoulders and upon the returnmovement of the feeder bar, is

.70 flexible tubing Q connects the nipples m v disengaged from thelatter, and drops upon the bed plate.

I desire it to be understood that there are many changes which can bemade which will be within the sco e of my invention; and that theabove-i1 ustrated embodiment of my invention is but one way of carryingthe same into'practice. For instance, in feeding paper which is too thinto be pushed, as by the feeder bar above described, because suchpaperwill buckle, a gripper can be used, which would engage the rearward edgeof such pa er and draw the paper laterally, in-

steado pushing it latera y. For instance, as illustrated in Fig. 7, aplate Q having in it a path cam 9 may be secured. to the bed plateopposite the exitfroin the chute, and an arm move parallel to the saidplat-e, the said arm.

can be mounted in a guide 1* so as, to

' the arm R can reciprocate in the-said 'the said arm being providedwitha fixed being connected by a with the arm operated by a cam 11,before described, so that d finger r and a movable finger r pivoted tosaid arm and pressed downward by a spring r, the opposite end of themovable finger carrying a roller or pin 1" that is adapted to travel inthe path cam. A switch g is pivoted in the path cam' and is-pressedupward by a s ring so that, as the arm It moves to the let, as seen inFig. 7, the roller on the end of the movable finger-will travel alongthe upper part of the path cam, allowing the spring to hold themovablefinger against the stationary finger, the lowermost card beinggripped between the said fingers, this being made possible by the actionof the plunger M in drawing down or bowing the said card. As the arm itapproaches the left-hand end of its travel, the roller, carried by themovable finger, is caused to travel downward by the switch cam and torelease the card, the latter striking against a post or in S mounted onthe frame and being t us released from the fingers. The roller carriedby the movable finger now passes beneath the switchv 1 and is thuscaused on the stroke to the right, to travel along the lowermost grooveor portion of the pathcam, holding the jaws open as they approach thechute, so that the next card, which has been bowed down by the plungerM, is received between the said fingers. As the armR reaches theright-hand end of its travel, as seen in the said figure, the roller onthe movable finger,

upon reaching the vertical portion of the path cam, is free to moveupward; when the spring snaps the movable finger upon the lower card andgrips the same in condition to re eat the before-described operation. Itis a so obvious that the suction plunger could be movedlaterally to givethe desired lateral movement to the card or iece of paper. For instance,as shown in Fig. 8, the plunger M can be mounted in a vertical guidewayformed in a slide U movable in the guides E by the link K, arm I and.cam II, the pin m to which the lever N is pivoted being extended, sothat the said plunger can be given a lateral movement, as Well as avertical movement,and so that the saidpin m will remain in engagementwith the said lever during the said lateral movement. By thisconstruction, the lowermost card is drawn down beneath the level of theshoulders upon the lower ,guides and slides off to the left, as seen inFig. 8, tobe delivered upon any desired article. I a

Having thus described my invention, what p 1. In a card feedingmachine,the con1b1 nation of a chute having ledges at opposite edges of thebottom thereof for the support of cards, suction means for drawing downthe body of the lowermost card intermediate said edges, a feederprovided with a support for the underside of the depressed portion ofthe card and with means to engage the card and move it edgewise from thechute, and

means for actuating said feeder at pre-determined intervals in respectto the operation of the suction means, substantially as de scribed.

2. In a card feeding machine, the combination of means for supporting astack of cards by two opposite edges only,suct1on means for drawing downthe body of the lowermost card intermediate said edges, a;

side of the chute which over the ledges are ac arated therefrom by a sliht space, and w ich, between the ledges, escend to the level ofthelatter, means for drawing down the lowermost card, and means for movingsaid card laterally, substantially as described.

4". In a card feeding machine, the combination of means for supporting astack of cards b two opposite edges only, suction means fer drawing downthe body of the lowermost card intermediate its edges, a feeder having asupport for the underside of the depressed portion of the card, a fingeradapted to pass over such depressed portion, and means to engage thecard and move it edgewise from beneath the stack, and means foractuating said feeder at pre-determined intervals in respect to theoperation of the suction means substantially as described.

5. In a card feeding machine, the combination of means for supportim astack of cards by opposite edges thereo means for drawing down thelowermost card, a feeder bar to engage and move the lowermost cardlaterally, and shoulders inclined away from the stack of cards overwhich the card is carried by the movement of the feeder bar and by whichthe card is held from returning with the feeder bar, substantially asdescribed.

r 6. In' a card feeding machine, the combination of means for supportinga stack of cards by opposite edges thereof, a lunger having achamber'therein opening t ough its upper face, means for moving saidplunger against the lowermost card and for moving saidplunger away fromsaid card, means for exhausting air from said chamber whereby the bodyof said card is drawn down intermediate its edges, a feeder providedwith a support for the underside of the card and wit means to engage thecard and to move it edgewise from beneath the stack, and

most card, means for exhausting air fromsaid chamber whereby the body ofthe 'card is drawn down intermediate its edges, a-

feeder having a support for the under side of the depressed portion ofthe card, having a finger adapted to pass over such depressed portionand having means to engage the card and move it edgewise from beneaththe stack, and means for actuating said feeder at 4pre-determinedintervals in respect to the operation of the airexhausting means.

8. In a card feeding machine, the combination'witli a chute havingledges at opposite sides thereof, a feeder bar moving trans-' versely tosaid chute; a suction plunger movable longitudinally in' the directionof the len 'th of said chute, means for operating said suction plunger,means for o erating said feeder bar, and means for ex austin air fromsaid suction plunger, whereby said suction plunger is first caused todraw down the lowermost card, said feeder bar is caused to engage andsup ort said card, said-suction plunger is then re eased from said cardand moved Olitkof the way of said feeder bar,,and

whereby said feeder bar 1s then caused to move t lowermost cardlaterally from beneath the stack, substantially as described.

9. In a card feeding machine, the combination of means for -su porting astack of cards at opposite edges t ereof, a feeder movable transverselyof said stack, a suction plunger movable longitudinally of said stack,an exhaust cylinder, its piston and pistonrod, operative connectionsbetween said cylinder and plunger ash aft, a cam thereon, connectionsbetween said cam and plunger, a second cam on said shaft, connectlonsbetween the latter cam and the feeder, and a pitman connection betweenthe latter cam and the piston-rod, substantially as de- 1 scribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this16th day of December, A. D. 1901;

JACOB P. WRIGHT. Witnesses:

. B. 0. Ross,

0. A. TICKNERQ

